10 Afghan militants lay down arms

A group of ten militants handed over their weapons to the authorities in Sarobi district, 60 km east of Afghan capital Kabul, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a statement released here on Monday.

"A 10-member armed militant group, who were active against government in parts of Sarobi district in the past, had laid down arms and joined the peace process," Xinhua reported citing the statement.

Without mentioning the exact date of their surrender, the statement said that with the joining of these former militants in the peace process the security situation will be further improved in and around Sarobi.

According to government officials, more than 3,500 militants have joined the government-backed peace process over the past year, a claim rejected by the Taliban as baseless.